The over-age position on the London Knights just got a little more crowded.

The Knights traded two draft picks to acquire over-age defenceman Todd Perry from the Barrie Colts yesterday. The Knights gave up a third-round pick in the 2008 OHL draft and an eighth-round pick in 2007.

With Perry's addition, the Knights have five over-age players on their training camp roster. He joins Trevor Kell, Kris Belan, Rob Drummond and Ryan Martinelli. Teams can play three each game and have four on the roster until Christmas.

"I don't know yet what's going to happen," said Knights GM Mark Hunter. "We have to see how our team shakes out."

The Knights head into the season with a young blue-line corp. Only Scott Aarssen and Martinelli having played a great deal on defence. Perry will help solidify that.

But Hunter also made the deal when he found out Martinelli has been invited to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate, for training camp. It came as a surprise but as an over-ager, Martinelli can play in the AHL.

"I had to protect my team," Hunter said. "You never know what's going to happen and I need one true defenceman back there."

Perry, six-foot-three and 230 pounds, is in his third OHL season. He was a first-round pick of the Sarnia Sting in 2002 but opted to keep his college eligibility by not reporting. He played Tier 2 junior in Brockville. He went to Boston College but only played three games before joining the Colts, who selected him in the 12th round in 2003.

In 67 games last season, Perry had four goals, 20 assists and 165 penalty minutes.

He'll be at practice today.

"He's a big kid who can skate," Hunter said.

Hunter understands adding another over-ager might make the other four a little nervous.

"All I can ask them to do is to show a little patience. They have to be willing to wait to see who comes back."

Of the other four over-agers, Belan has been with the Knights since the beginning of camp; Martinelli returned from Pittsburgh's camp but will head back out to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; Drummond returned from the Columbus Blue Jackets' rookie camp and will be with the Knights this weekend; Kell has been invited to the St. Louis Blues' main camp.

Other Knights who have been invited to NHL main camps are David Jarram with the Detroit Red Wings; David Meckler with the Los Angeles Kings; goalie Steve Mason with Columbus; and Josh Beaulieu with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Adam Perry is also back in London after attending the Anaheim Ducks' rookie camp.

Hunter doesn't expect to make any other moves until he gets a better idea of who'll be returning and when.

"It usually takes at least a month to get a good idea of the kind of team you have," he said.

The Knights play their final exhibition game tomorrow at the John Labatt Centre against the Mississauga IceDogs at 7 p.m.